618 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Marlceiing. — With soil of high fertility, careful seed and plant 

 selection, and the very best treatment, it is possible to cut |50 worth 

 of asparagus to the acre the second season from planting. The 

 grower should be very careful to avoid heavy cutting the second 

 season as this will cripple the plants during the following years. 

 Even the third year the cuttings should not be too heavy, but the 

 fourth and succeeding years it is permissible to cut until about the 

 first of July. Asparagus is still regarded a luxury by many city con» 

 sumers and it pays to place the product on the market in the most 

 attractive form. Many growers have found it an advantage to tie 

 the bunches with red tape. The tape can be secured at a verj' low 

 cost and it certainly i)ays to use it. The bunches of asparagus are 

 eight to ten inches in length and the average weight is two to two 

 and a-half pounds. In warm, growing weather it is necessary to 

 look over the plantation every other day and sometimes every day 

 in order to catch the shoots before they break or become too long for 

 marketing. Jn oider to avoid cutting on Sunday, some growers re- 

 move the marketable shoots Saturday afternoon and after washing 

 and bunching they are stood in trays with the butts standing in about 

 one-half inch of water. This will keep the asparagus perfectly fresh 

 until Monday morning when it may be sent to market. 



EAELY CABBAGE 



By R. H. GARRAHAN, Kingston, Pa. 



In order to produce a good crop of Early Cabbage there are a 

 few conditions with which the grower must comply: 



1st. We must use good seed. And here the grower does not have 

 to take any chances. He has no one to blame but himself if he uses 

 poor seed. 



2d. We 7mist have a supply of well-groiun plants. Here again 

 the grower takes absolutely no chances. It's his own fault if he does 

 not raise good plants. 



3d. We must have the soil in the l)est possible condition in regard 

 to fertility and mechanical condition. As a rule it's up to the grower 

 to have his land in suitable condition. 



4th. We should have freedom from disease and insect pests. Here 

 we have to take our chances. We haven't yet been furnished with any 

 sure panacea for all the ills that plant life is heir too. 



5th. In order to have a successful crop we must receive a good price 

 for the finished product. The fixing of prices is usually beyond the 

 grower and here he sure does take a long chance. 



I said that we had absolutely no excuse for using poor seed. You 

 say there is lots of poor seed on the market and that the seedsman is 

 liable to sell you some worthless stuff. I'll agree with you but don't 

 buy such trash. 



